Stephen Tisdale

iNEMI HFR-Free Leadership Project report

Recent environmental concerns over the safety of the halogenated flame retardants (HFR) used in commonplace FR4 based printed circuit boards (PCB) has prompted market demand for HFR-free computer systems. Unfortunately, this transition has been made difficult by concerns of the Thermo-Mechanical and Electrical properties on the HFR-Free laminates. As an example, the critical electrical properties of most HFR-free dielectrics currently on the market make high-speed bus designs such as DDR3 problematic without increasing the cost of the system. The iNEMI HFR-Free Leadership Project was developed to address these industry concerns. This paper shows the project plan and status to date.

iNEMI HFR-free program report

The electronics industry is aggressively pursuing the removal of potentially toxic compounds from their products, including the halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) that were once widely used in electronics housings and cases and are still used extensively in printed circuit boards. Several leading electronics companies have publicly stated their intent to remove brominated and/or halogenated flame retardants from some or all of their products. The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), an industry-led consortium, is working with a number of its OEM and supply chain members to assess the feasibility of a broad conversion to HFR-free PCB materials. While IPC and JEDEC are developing halogen-free standard specifications and numerous companies have compliant materials, significant questions remain regarding overall readiness to make a transition to these materials. This paper will discuss results & conclusions from the completed iNEMI HFR-free PCB Materials Project, as well as outline current projects, which include the HFR-free High-Reliability PCB project, the HFR-free Signal Integrity Project and the HFR-free PCB Material Development Project.

iNEMI BFR-free PCB materials evaluation project report

Brominated flame retardants, namely polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), were one of the main materials used to reduce the flammability of consumer goods and electronics. Growing evidence shows that PBDE compounds are making their way into the environment. These chemicals may cause health effects, prompting many nations to ban or suspend their use in new consumer goods.

Framework for implementing material alternatives assessment

For the electronics and semiconductor industries, as well as for suppliers in the chemical industry where new, complex material development has a key role in advancing the next technology innovations, a proactive approach to addressing Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) issues is a critical necessity, given lengthy development times. There are many tools currently available to industry that can assist in the evaluation of alternative materials and lead to more informed and better decisions with respect to the materials used to make products. At this time, there is no uniform methodology within governments, NGOs, academia or industry for examining new or alternative materials for environmental, safety or human health impacts. As a result, chemical restrictions are inconsistent and can negatively impact the product roadmaps of electronics and semiconductor manufacturers, which often take years for development. Alternative materials assessment is a key factor in developing policies that are more holistic in nature and allow for better risk mitigation to be included in product choices at the source. A consistent method and framework of evaluation of existing methods will provide the opportunity for material selection that is safer, less hazardous and more sustainable than the more typical “banning” solution often specified in policy like RoHS today. The iNEMI (International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative) project on Alternative Materials Assessment examined key existing materials assessment strategies (frameworks, methodologies and tools), for the application and effectiveness in evaluating their environmental/toxicological properties for use. The team has taken a phased approach and conducted a focused benchmarking exercise, using several representative, industry-relevant chemical substances (Phthalates, NMP and TBBP-A), as a means of comparing a carefully selected list of assessment tools, which have potential for broad use in the near future. A gap analysis summary and comparison of key descriptors and key tool use criteria was evaluated for these representative substances, creating an important reference document that can serve to standardize and streamline the approach to alternative assessment. The intent of this study was to facilitate a more proactive, better informed decision making process, for more effective risk mitigation. A summary of the results of our evaluation and potential next steps were provided in the end-of-project report, now published on the iNEMI website.

iNEMI Pb-free alloy characterization project report: Thermal fatigue results for low and no-Ag alloys

Significant innovations in Pb-free solder alloy formulations are being driven by volume manufacturing and field experiences. As a result, the industry has seen an increase in the number of Pb-free solder alloy choices beyond the common near-eutectic Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) alloys first established as replacements for Sn-37Pb. The increasing number of Pb-free alloys provides opportunities to address shortcomings of near-eutectic SAC, such as poor mechanical shock performance, but also introduces a variety of technical and logistical risks. Since 2008, the Pb-Free Alloy Characterization Program sponsored by the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) has been working to fill the gap in knowledge associated with thermal fatigue resistance of these new solder alloys. Results from the extensive experimental program are now becoming available and are being published through a series of publications (see References). This paper provides a summary of the overall iNEMIs program goals, the experimental structure, and the results and analysis of thermal cycling for low silver alloys, containing 1 wt.% or less Ag. Results indicated that there is a correlation between the characteristic life of short dwell thermal cycles and Ag content. Increase in the Ag content increased the characteristic life. Another important finding is that all low-and no-Ag alloys performed better than Sn-37Pb under the test conditions. Finally, as the stress levels increase during thermal cycling, the performance differences between the Pb-free alloys diminish, and their performance appears to be approaching that of Sn-37Pb.

iNEMI HFR-free leadership program

The electronics industry is aggressively pursuing the removal of potentially toxic compounds from their products, including the halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) that were once widely used in electronics housings and cases and are still used extensively in printed circuit boards. Several leading electronics companies have publicly stated their intent to remove brominated and/or halogenated flame retardants from some or all of their products. The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), an industry-led consortium, is working with a number of its OEM and supply chain members to assess the feasibility of a broad conversion to HFR-free PCB materials. While IPC and JEDEC are developing halogen-free standard specifications and numerous companies have compliant materials, significant questions remain regarding overall readiness to make a transition to these materials. This paper will discuss results & conclusions from the completed iNEMI HFR-free PCB Materials Project, as well as outline current projects, which include the HFR-free High-Reliability PCB project, the HFR-free Signal Integrity